Getting your website ready to show up on iPads and tablet devices is the new thing for today. For businesses that are either online or offline with a just a web presence, this is another great marketing opportunity. Because it makes to present your website in the best way possible, here are a few tips to optimize your website for the iPad.

1. Get Rid of Flash Elements

IPad doesn’t support Flash so any Flash graphics you have on your website will not be viewed. Additionally, they can cause your entire webpage to be inaccessible. If your website is Flash heavy, this may require a significant overhaul to make it iPad ready. Consider the pros and cons. If your audience is young and technology savvy, chances are they are using iPads and other tablets. It may make financial sense to modify your website to fit their browsing needs.

2. Update Your HTML

Apple strongly recommends website developers upgrade sites to HTML5. If your site is using old HTML code, you might consider following this advice. The Apple iPod can read HTML5 without any hiccups or glitches. And it’s a simple enough process that you may be able to manage it yourself or outsource the task to a contractor.

3. Manage Your Content

Depending on how you currently manage your content, you may want to look for any new upgrades or plug-ins. For example, if you currently have a Joomla site, you might be pleased to learn that Joomla has a recently developed plug-in to manage content. There are also some pretty functional plug-ins for WordPress platform blogs or websites.

4. Keep It Simple

This is a given, particularly when it comes to navigation. You want to make sure your navigation structure is a simple and intuitive as possible. Remember that an iPad screen is smaller than a standard computer monitor. This means small drop-down navigation menus are difficult to see. Additionally, the iPad is a touch screen which means if users have to touch a tiny space on your navigation bar they may get frustrated by the process.

5. Test Your Site

In addition to testing your site on a variety of browsers including Safari, also test your site on the iPad. Make sure that your site appears functional and complete whichever direction you rotate the iPad. Make sure that the navigation structure makes sense and is easy to use. Also test loading times. If your site has been upgraded to HTML5 it’ll load quickly and cleanly.

Finally, remember that if your website is mobile ready that doesn’t mean it is iPad ready. In fact, the “mobile” distinction may cause loading problems for your visitors. Optimizing your website for the iPad isn’t difficult. Apple is definitely committed to helping website owners and developers. If you have questions, visit the Safari website and the Apple development webpage for help. Technology will continue to develop in this direction. It makes sense to ensure you’re present online regardless of the device your prospects use to find you.